the bitch is...well, a little over-rated actually

I'd forgotten this story. I like this version because it's not all 'Christianed up' like the version you mostly see floating on the interwebs.

An old Grandfather said to his grandson, who came to him with anger at a friend who had done him an injustice, "Let me tell you a story. I too, at times, have felt a great hate for those that have taken so much, with no sorrow for what they do.

But hate wears you down, and does not hurt your enemy. It is like taking poison and wishing your enemy would die. I have struggled with these feelings many times." He continued, "It is as if there are two wolves inside me. One is good and does no harm. He lives in harmony with all around him, and does not take offense when no offense was intended. He will only fight when it is right to do so, and in the right way.

But the other wolf, ah! He is full of anger. The littlest thing will set him into a fit of temper. He fights everyone, all the time, for no reason. He cannot think because his anger and hate are so great. It is helpless anger,for his anger will change nothing. Sometimes, it is hard to live with these two wolves inside me, for both of them try to dominate my spirit."

The boy looked intently into his Grandfather's eyes and asked, "Which one wins, Grandfather?" The Grandfather smiled and quietly said, "The one I feed."

Obvious really, but it doesn't stop people from feeding their anger and negativity until it consumes their better self.

I think I do this sometimes and it's just wasted energy. Recently I started working with a guy that is always calm. At first I found this kind of annoying, actually, because I mistook it for a lack of passion about things that matter. But as I've gotten to know him over the last few months I've realised that he doesn't lack feeling; it's more that if anger isn't going to change anything, he will only give limited energy to it. He is, however, quite insightful when it comes to solutions, and I think this is a result of him being calm enough to really apply his rationality to a problem.

This is a workplace. Things go wrong and management occasionally suck and there are any number of people ready to bitch about it. It's actually kind of nice to work with someone who doesn't always need to vent, even if this does throw my own impatience or irritation into sharper relief (embarrassing!) in the process. Maybe I'll become more zen as a result.

5 things that have happened since I last blogged

1. I bought a car. My old one has been on the way out for some time and I've been driving it (oh so gingerly) with dogdy, grinding brakes and the engine stalling at every traffic light.

2. I won a camcorder and a camera (thank you Hoyts cinemas), the latter which I will use to show you my new car once I get it charged up (the camera, not the car). The cool thing is that it's an SLR camera, so maybe I can finally do a proper photography course.

3. My best friend at work moved back to Victoria. That was sad. On the bright side I do get to catch up with him sometimes as I work in Melbourne about once a month lately. Also I think he'll be happier there because he's training for a new job he likes and is now located in the same city as his (really nice) girlfriend.

4. Work has stepped up a notch. I'm much busier than before, but with interesting stuff. I also went up a pay increment which means a small pay rise. A promotion would be better.

5. I got into Twitter. I'm already defriending people who twit every ten minutes, but generally my favourite thing is watching people I like, like Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean, or Rove and P!nk twitter between themselves. I also love the fact that when I'm right in the middle of something great/terrible/annoying/boring I can send a twit from my phone. Like sending out a message in a tiny bottle from whatever deserted island I'm on. And it appears on the sidebar of my blog, too, which was my original reason for signing up.

So it goes. Now, how's life with everyone else?

no man is an island...sadly

I used to be one of three people in a pod of four cubicles at work. The other two have left and been replaced by people located in Melbourne. I can't count the number of people who've commiserated with me on how 'lonely' or 'quiet' it must be. As if every person working there wouldn't want their own office if they could get it. And that being the case, why do they feel the need to have these inane conversations with me about it? Seriously, everybody commented on it as they walked past the pod for at least two weeks. Other people sit five seconds walk away! Not only that, but I am near the break room, so I see people all day long as they walk by and they often stop to chat.

Before I went to Adelaide I was told that I needed to move four pods away to sit next to Haigh (which I did yesterday). He wasn't too happy about it either, as he's had a two-cube pod to himself for a few months now, but we get along okay, so it doesn't completely suck to work next to him. But then the new round of comments began ~ people wandering by and feeling the need to express how nice it must be now, to be with everyone else and not all alone in my 'distant' pod. The truth is, the new location is a lot noisier and I have less space. I'll get used to it and soon it won't seem so busy, but again, I just don't see why they feel driven to make comments they don't even believe. We currently have two other people working in pods on their own and neither of them has given the least indication that they want to move. In the near future they'll need to, but they won't like it any more than me.

I could have it worse ~ I could be this guy (watch no.1). But it's still frustrating. Is it just that other people are more into small talk? Am I complaining about what is really just social grease? I know what they're saying is pretty harmless. Still, can't they just ask me if I've seen any good movies lately and leave it at that?

i'm supposed to be on leave right now

In fact, I was supposed to be on leave all last week, but only ended up taking Tuesday and Friday. Now next week I'm working Monday and Tuesday as well. I'm not sure why I so easily agreed to that. I know there is work to do, but it's not like there's no-one else to do it. I think it was just that I knew I didn't have anything in particular that had to be done those days, so why not be cooperative and come in? The trouble with that reasoning is that I slotted in those days of leave because I need a break. I've been sick probably five or six times in the last six months and also had a lot going on with work and church as well. For a lot of reasons, 2009 is going to be quite a different year for me and I want to go into it happy and rested.


Which all boils down to the fact that on Monday I'm going to tell my boss (who is well aware that I've been sick a lot and had planned to take a real break over Christmas) that I'm shifting this leave not taken to the week after New Year's and heading for the coast.

money money money

It's the first pay after the start of the new financial year and there are about 40 extra dollars in my pay...yah! Next fortnight we get the back pay from our pay rise that is being retrospectively paid from January (it took that long to finalise the certified agreement)...double yah! And in August when I go up one pay increment, triple yah it will be!

monday monday

Hmmm...2pm.

Perhaps a tad too early for 'leaving a little early today'.

this just arrived in my email at work...

Feel like a butterbeer or some firewhiskey?

Why not come to our special Harry Potter Happy Hour?

The amenities room on level 4&3/4 will be magically transformed into "The Three Broomsticks" on Thursday 9 August. (Note Muggles will just see the amenities room on level 5 with no decorations).

Talk about the magical adventures of Harry and his friends.

Test yourself with the Harry Potter Trivia Quiz.

Come drink a few magical potions.

Too funny. ^_^

but enough of these quasi posts

Youtube is fun, but time for some real news from the life of chosha. Today, after several long weeks of waiting, I finally found out I was successful in getting a level 5 position (I was officially a 4 before, though I've been acting at a 5 level for several months). So, basically, same job, more money, a little more responsibility. Exxxxxcellent.

And while I'm blowing my own horn (would that sound dirty if I was a guy?) let me just add that there were several positions on offer, but when they ranked the applicants I came first! They said that both the application and the interview were impressive. Pretty sweet to know that even if there'd only been one job, I'd have gotten it anyway.

So yeah, feeling very buoyant at the moment. Elated even. Yah me!

I just love being told off for doing a good job

I just answered a query from an overseas regulator explaining our policy on a particular issue. I sent it to my boss for her okay prior to sending it, and her response was to say that "we don't need to answer all of his questions so thoroughly. It is generally better to guide people to our website and let them do their own research."

Um, yeah, fair comment, IF THE ANSWERS TO HIS QUESTIONS WERE ACTUALLY ON OUR WEBSITE! When I explained that the only relevent information I could find on the site was on pages that he had quoted in his query (read: had already read and on which he was asking for clarification or more info) she basically said that if you answer too well they'll just keep asking more questions.

Now, let me see if I have this straight. She wants me to create a reply that I know doesn't answer his questions and provide links to pages he's already read. Wouldn't that mean that he would NEED to ask me more questions, because I haven't ANSWERED any yet?

Edit: In fairness to my supervisor I have to add an edit. The guy did write back with thanks and two more very specific questions (asking for examples basically). She was totally cool about me writing back and didn't change anything I wrote, so I guess she's come to terms with my "too helpful" nature. :) I haven't had any further queries since then, but the guy did agree to send me some info on how his country's policy develops when this research period is finished, so I feel like karma will bring some good stuff back in the end.

five busy days

I've been in Melbourne again, this time for work. Monday and Tuesday were planning days for the branch. We basically worked out our strategy for the next three years, and especially the next twelve months. The facilitator was excellent. He stopped the two days from just being about the facts and figures of projects and made sure that there was a lot of focus on the way we work, our relationships with other branches and governments departments, and on our methods for prioritizing work. One nice thing was that we flew in on Sunday night. More expensive for the branch, but it meant that everyone didn't arrive at the conference room Monday morning tired and grumpy from having to get up at 5am to fly to Melbourne.

The Crown Promenade was really nice. The picture of the hotel room that appears in the sequence on the hotel's home page is exactly how my room looked, with a glorious comfy bed and a huge window that looked down on the lights of the casino centre and city. One night I was walking along the riverfront and there was a busker playing the most beautiful music. I sat down on some steps and closed my eyes and listened. After a few tunes I decided I'd better head back to the hotel, and I stopped to see what instrument he was playing. I nearly fell over in shock when I realised it was an ordinary plastic recorder, the kind we all seem to learn in Australia in the first year of high school. I didn't even know a recorder could make a sound like that. When I told him so, he laughed and played me a very squeaky note that took me straight back to year 8 music class. He told me that in one place where he busks there are a group of Minor birds that start singing whenever he plays in their note range. I wasn't surprised, because I'd thought when he was playing that it was like elevated birdsong.

Tuesday night I had teppanyaki, one of the few types of Japanese restaurants I'd never tried before, with some of my workmates. The chef didn't throw any food, but he was still pretty entertaining to watch. The last night at the Crown I decided to stay in and order room service, mostly because I had a job interview the next day to prepare for. And yes it's just a tray with some silver lids over the plates, but ordering room service is fun, especially when you've never done it before. My dessert was creme brulee with a strawberry compote. Oh my.

Wednesday was section planning, kind of a follow-up from the branch planning days and in the afternoon I had my interview. I think it went well. The following two days, Thursday and Friday, I moved to a cheaper hotel and went to a two-day training course on policy formulation, which was run by a great presenter I'd done a course with before. I flew home this evening. It felt like a long week, but it was useful. Both planning days and training courses have the potential to be a complete waste of time if they're badly done, but I actually came home feeling motivated.

business trip coming up

...and we're staying three nights here. Bonus good deal. ^_^

The Melbourne report is coming. My browser just freaked out mid-post last time so I need to rewrite my adventures.

honk if you can read this

I just did two days of training into public sector writing. Good course, great teacher. By far the most interesting thing we did was a section on readability. The public service tends to be a hierarchical place when it comes to...well, everything. Getting a submission into the hands of decision makers means getting it approved by (in my case, usually) four people: my supervisor, section leader, branch manager and division head.

The problem comes when one (or all) of these people decides to make changes to the document and send it back down the line. This can go on forever and is very frustrating. So it's no surprise really that most people write for their bosses. They know what style they like and they know what they will or won't agree with and they write accordingly. The problem is that some of the documents we create go out to the public, and in pleasing our boss, we can create documents that are way too formal, full of jargon and far too difficult for the people who will use them.

At the course we learned about the Flesch Reading Ease scale. It's not perfect ~ one of its criteria for readability is shorter sentences, and dialogue is usually a series of short sentences, so on its scale of 0 (almost impossible to read) to 100 (can easily be read by a fifth grade student) most of Shakespeare's plays (almost 100% dialogue) comes in around 70. 70 is 'plain English'. But generally speaking, it's fairly accurate. For comparison, this blog entry scores a 62.5 (leaving that super-hard paragraph out).

We tested some examples he had of government brochures. The one I got was an information brochure explaining to health care card holders (unemployed, people on disability pensions, etc) how to claim benefits for prescription medications. Not everyone on a health care card has a low level of literacy or education, but there are a large number in that group who do. Lack of education is a factor in unemployment. This brochure had a readability score of 26 ~ a level that indicates that someone would need 15 years of formal education to read it without trouble.

One of the hardest things we did was to take a paragraph that scored a 0 and try to write a couple of paragraphs that had the same meaning and message, but with a readability of at least 50. My first attempt scored a 29, but my next a 58! The original? Here it is. [Actually I'll edit this in tomorrow when I'm at work.] See what you can make of it. I'll post my easier version in the comments soon.

Here's the rub. I went back to the office today and ran a readability test on the public discussion paper I'm writing...29.7. Hmmm. I have some work ahead of me. I told my workmate, who did the course with me, and she said, 'but that's why we did the course! so we can come back and write better papers.' So true. So my official-sounding jargony public discussion paper is going to get a serious makeover.

The question is, once I make it lovely and readable, am I going to be able to get it past those four bosses, or are they going to tell me that it's too 'simple-sounding'? Only time will tell, and I'll report back in the blog.